STAR-CCM+ has a Discrete Element Modeling capability which allows for the simulation of individual particles such as dirt and mud. DEM is especially suited for design of bulk materials and process equipment such as mining trucks, making sure they operate as efficiently as possible.

With recent advancements in numerical simulation technology, it is now possible to effectively simulate and understand the behavior of bulk material handling and granular flows.

In STAR-CCM+, the Discrete Element Method (DEM) is used to simulate particle flow for these applications.

DEM can be used to simulate the motion of a large number of interacting discrete particles, such as the granular flow of sand, food particles, metal powders, capsules and slurries. DEM tracks the interaction between every particle in a numerically efficient manner, modeling contact forces and energy transfer due to collision and conductive and radiative heat transfer between particles.

STAR-CCM+ is the first commercial engineering simulation tool to include a DEM capability that is fully coupled with numerical flow simulation in a single software environment.